A mainstream education is a legal obligation School districts are required to provide educational programs which are not only individualized to address a disabled child’s unique needs, but are provided in the least restrictive environment. Educating children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment is the ultimate goal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education [...]
Continue reading →Assessment, assessment, assessment When parents see me for an initial consultation, it is a virtual certainty that I will recommend that they obtain independent assessments to determine their child’s strengths and weaknesses and to recommend appropriate educational services. The opinions of even the most informed parents mean little in the context of an [...]
Continue reading →How to approach your IEP… Prior to one of my son’s IEPs I was asked whether I would be attending in the capacity of his father, or as his lawyer. Although this happened a long time ago, I still puzzle over how I could be expected to divorce myself from the role of [...]
Continue reading →According to the law… There are two parts to the legal analysis of whether a school district has offered a student with a disability a free appropriate education (“FAPE”). The first question is whether the LEA has complied with the procedures set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). [...]
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